The Crush
by Jokester6
Summary: Having a crush is an amazing and strange experience. Usually we move on from a crush after a certain period of time but Arthur Kirkland, a socially awkward student, becomes obsessed with a charming boy in his class. He becomes so obsessed that he would do anything to keep the boy's attention on him. Anything. Even if it meant killing everyone that boy loved.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction: Hello! This is a new story that I am starting! It will be starting off a bit slowly but I hope you all will enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Sweetest Smile

Arthur Kirkland let out a surprised shout when he was thrown across the school's public bathroom. He yelped in pain the moment his stomach slammed against the solid bathroom sinks and crumbled onto the dirty floor. He grumbled and cursed to himself while grabbing his injured area in the hopes to make the pain disappear. It didn't. He could only hear two other teenage boys cackling above him. Before the scrawny boy could look up to see his attackers he felt the roots of his blonde hair being pulled up roughly by big hands. His green eyes meet a crazed pair of red eyes. The British boy immediately recognized Gilbert Beilschmidt. The stronger boy was one of the most popular kids in school after all. For what reason he was not so sure but he guessed that the students of the high school just found his fiery and daring personality exciting. The albino was sneering down at Arthur as the boy in his hand was whimpering in pain,

"Aw-you look so scared!"

The smaller boy tried to pull away from the taller boy but was pushed roughly against the cold walls. Gilbert let out an amused laugh and remarked,  
"You're so short! I swear if I hadn't seen you around school I would have guessed that you were one of the freshmen students!"

The fingers tightened around the roots of the blonde boy's hair and tugged furiously, causing small tears to form near the edges of Arthur's eyes. This was humiliating. Gilbert was just too strong and big to fight back. He was trapped.

"Tsk, tsk. Gilbert."

Another boy appeared behind Gilbert, yet the albino did not look away from his tiny victim. The German challenged,

"What is it now, Antonio?"

Gilbert's best friend leaned against the wall and folded his arms,

"You're making him squeal too much. You are going to get caught if you continue acting like this."

The albino snorted in amusement and turned his gaze to Antonio,

"Since when did you start caring about the authorities in this school?"

The Spaniard's emerald eyes narrowed,

"I don't want to get suspended and get grounded from my parents like last time! I don't want us to miss the party that's coming up."

The conversation was cut short when Arthur mustered up the courage and asked,

"What do you guys want from me?"

There was silence for a few seconds in the bathroom before Gilbert slammed the back of Arthur's head onto the bathroom wall,

"No particular reason. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

The albino slowly stood up as Arthur was cradling the back of his head. Antonio also stated,

"You're also kind of weird."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow,

"What do you mean 'kind of' weird? He IS weird!"

The moment he finished his sentence he kicked Arthur right in the chest, causing the boy to sprawl out on the floor. Before the British boy could curl up to protect himself he felt the sole of Gilbert's shoe sharply stepping on the top of his left hand. Arthur held his tongue to hold back the screams.

"I mean, you're that kid who always sits by himself at the back of the classroom, right? Who knows-you might just end up planning on shooting the entire school! We can't let you do anything like that now can we?"

The stronger boy continued to put all his weight onto the sole of his shoe until the sound of the school bell ringing caused Antonio to stop him.

"Come on, you can always bother these losers some other time."

The albino pouted in disappointment but reluctantly removed his foot from Arthur's hand,

"How disappointing. I guess I'll just have to see you some other time."

Arthur was too busy cradling his injured hand to hear the two boys leave.

Arthur was not usually bullied in school. In fact, this seemed to be one of those rare occasions when his classmates noticed him. He was the quiet type-always following the rules and staying out of trouble. He kept to himself and was known to be socially awkward. Even though he seemed to be the perfect target to be bullied due to his small body and reserved nature he was ignored by the crowd. For what reason he was not sure-but this had been going on for years. Maybe the students just didn't find him that interesting to pick on since he would always submit to it. He held his books closer to his chest-he couldn't shake a feeling out of the back of his head. It was not anger. It was not sadness either. It was disbelief. Even though those boys had beaten and teased him he was noticed. He was almost…happy.

The blonde rushed passed the endless rows of lockers and students to get to his English class. It was about a week into the new school year and he did not want to be late to one of his classes already.

The classroom was filled with students from a variety of background. Arthur passed by the ambitious students who sat near the front and made his way to the back of the class. Luckily, Gilbert and Antonio were not in the same English class as him so Arthur could relax. There were still a few sports fanatics here and there but they usually ignored him. The boy recognized a few students who seemed hung over from partying in the weekends the day before. He wondered why they even bothered coming to class-if he were them he would have stayed in home. His thoughts drifted away as more students poured into the classroom. A few minutes later Mr.M, a chubby middle-aged man, walked into the classroom. As usual he had a frown on his face and dark circles under his eyes. Whenever a student asked him if he was doing okay he would stare back and ask them if he looked okay. Either way, Arthur enjoyed Mr. M's classes because he was interested in the topic and thought that the old man was a good teacher.

"Okay-shut up!"

The teacher snapped. The classroom was dead silent. This was another reason why Arthur loved this class-the teacher was not a pushover like many teachers. As the teenagers handed in their homework from the week before Mr.M told the class to take out their books and read a few passages,

"Turn to page 220. Alex, read from the top."

As the student slowly read the passage Arthur felt his eyes growing heavy. He had already read this passage about a dozen times and Alex's monotone voice just made him sleepy. The blonde rubbed his tired eyes to concentrate on the words but none of the words were going into his head. Frustrated, he decided to look around the classroom. He hoped that looking away from a sea of words could help his eyes. As his emerald green eyes scanned the different students he noticed a troubling trend. These were the same people he had been studying with for the past three years and he already felt like he figured them out completely. The boy did not like this since he realized how predictable and boring his life was. He would wake up from the same house and go to the same school. He would also meet with the same people he did not get along with and walk home alone like always. Of course this was not the students' fault, they just didn't click with Arthur. Yet the British boy hated this. He was in his junior year yet felt as if he had been repeating freshmen year over and over again.

Just when he was about to look at his book, Arthur's eyes caught the sight of his closest friend Francis. The slightly older boy was looking at him with worried blue eyes. The boy once again felt frustrated. This was all too familiar. He would get hurt or look moody and Francis-the charming, handsome and intelligent boy would worry for him. Arthur was thankful for Francis's compassion for him, yet he had to admit that he was jealous of the more experienced boy. He was probably one of the most liked students in the school. He was everything that Arthur was not. Arthur was getting upset to the point that he did not notice Francis had passed him a note.

 _You look tired. Everything okay?_

Arthur wrote his own note and passed it back.

 _Everything is fine._

Francis's blue eyes narrowed and jotted down another note.

 _Really? How come your hand is all swollen up and turning purple? Shouldn't you get that checked?_

The British boy's good hand trembled as he wrote his next note.

 _I'll be fine._

Francis rolled his eyes.

 _Oh, please. Stop putting this tough act and get some help. What if your hand gets infected? What did you do to get hurt?_

After contemplating whether or not to tell him the truth Arthur finally wrote another note.

 _Gilbert and Antonio attacked me._

Francis's eyes widen in terror when he read the note.

 _We need to report them! They can't just get away after hurting you like this!_

Arthur shook his head violently.

 _No! No! They won't do that again! I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time!_

When Francis's eyes came in contact with his note Arthur swore that the Frenchmen's eyes lit up in anger. While waiting for his friend to finish writing the note Arthur looked around in hopes to forget about this stressful situation for at least a few seconds. Then his eyes meet with a pair of bright, soft eyes. Arthur's heart stopped for a split second as he began to realize whom he was staring at. It was a handsome looking boy with dirty blonde hair. He was medium built and had glasses. His charming face was facing directly at Arthurs and to the British boy's surpirse he shot him a sweet smile. Arthur could have sworn that time had stopped for that split second. He wished it could have lasted forever.

"Pst!"

The boy jolted upright when Francis hissed to get his attention. Looking down, Arthur noticed that he had placed the note on his desk. While unfolding the note the blonde took a glance back at the same boy with the bright smile. He seemed to be doodling on his book. Arthur could not believe it. That boy, a person he had never noticed until now, had given him one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen in his life. He wanted to take a glimpse of that boy's smile again yet he had to read the note Francis had given him. While he was reading the note he could not get rid of the image of that beautiful smile.

 _I don't care if this is the only time that he harms you! Arthur, you shouldn't let people walk all over you like this. This is unhealthy! As your close friend I understand that you like beingg noticed-whether it be in a bad or good way. But seriously, if you let people like them get their way with you-it is just not right! As your friend I am begging you to listen to me!_

Frowning, Arthur slowly crumpled up the paper. He did not want to leave…especially after being given such an amazing smile. He wanted to stay here and gaze at this new boy for as long as he could. He was just…he couldn't exactly explain what emotions he was experiencing. However, Francis was worrying about him. Reluctantly, Arthur excused himself from the classroom and headed towards the door. Before he left he sneaked a quick glimpse back at the handsome boy. He was looking down at his book with a furrowed brow. Arthur blushed as he thought of how cute the boy looked when he was serious. It was a strange and wonderful feeling…he had a crush.


	2. Chapter 2

Introduction: Hello! I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 2: All for one, one for all

"Alfred!"

"What? There's cabbage in the burger!"

Alfred Jones told Elizabeta defensively. The older girl rolled her eyes as the teenage boy before her was holding a big juicy hamburger. Grease and mustard could be seen oozing from the sides of the burger but that didn't seem to bother Alfred Jones. In fact, it just only made him hungry. The two teenagers were sitting at a table in the heart of the crowded cafeteria. It was like any other day. It was a Monday afternoon and Alfred and Elizabeta were sitting at the same table they had been sitting at for the past three years. The only thing that changed this scenery was the dark atmosphere due to the heavy rain pouring outside.

The pretty girl tried one last time to change Alfred's mind,

"Alfred, you promised me you would start eating healthy. So far you've been eating french-fries and burgers all day!"

"I told you that there's cabbage! See?"

The dirty blonde held the greasy food close to Elizabeta's face. Sure enough there was a thin slice of cabbage crushed between a big slab of meat and thick slices of cheese. She simply frowned and pushed his hand away,

"You're going to regret it."

Alfred just gave her one of his signature dorky smiles before chowing down on his lunch. His friend murmured under her breath,

"And you've exercised so much to lose all that weight…"

"It's fine, we have PE after this anyway."

Elizabeta gave the boy a gentle smile. The two had known each other since the seventh grade and it seemed that they never changed. Alfred used to be short and chubby when he was younger but over the past few years he decided to work out and lost quite a bit of weight. If not for the horrible case of pimples, Alfred Jones could have easily been one of the most attractive boys in school. The only thing that Elizabeta was bothered about the boy was his unhealthy eating habits. Alfred raised an eyebrow while cleaning his oily fingers,

"What's with the smile? Do I have something between my teeth?"

The brunette shrugged,

"No, it's not that. I was just thinking how we haven't changed a bit."

"Oh yeah-we've known each other for quite a while now, huh?"

"Yeah-and you're still the little boy who Roderick and I always have to look after."

"Hey! I can take care of myself!"

Elizabeta giggled while Alfred huffed in annoyance.

"It's okay Alfred. I actually don't mind that the three of us haven't changed a bit."

"Well…"

Alfred leaned closer and gave the girl a cheeky grin,

"Things did change a bit with you and Roderick. Speaking of which, where's the old man at?"

"Right behind you Alfred,"

The two turned to see the serious teenager with glasses. Roderick sat beside Elizabeta and pulled out a sandwich and a small bottle of juice from his bag. Alfred's smile widened,

"Roderick! How did the music club meeting go?"

The other boy pushed up his glasses and answered,

"It was okay I guess. Even though some of the freshmen did not show up on time…that was quite frustrating."

Elizabeta giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek,

"Don't get too grumpy. They are young after all."

Alfred chuckled,

"You both sound like you're in your sixties."

While getting ready to eat his sandwich Roderick spoke,

"Now that reminds me…Alfred, you have been playing around since the beginning of the year."

"So? Tell me something I don't know."

The brunette rubbed his temples,

"You are in your junior year. Should you not be concentrating on your studies? Seriously, Alfred- I worry for you-you even messed around in English class! Knowing you that should have been an easy A+ but you choose not to even try."

The blonde rolled his eyes and pushed his lunch tray away from him,

"Here we go again-college, college, college."

The other boy placed his sandwich back on his tray and stared directly into Alfred's childish blue eyes.

"This is no laughing matter! Did you forget how you completely failed your sophomore year? Alfred, you're not going to make it anywhere if you keep this up!"

Alfred's blue eyes twitched,

"Geez Roderick, maybe I want to do other things than just study all day."

"It doesn't matter whether you want to or not. Either way you have to study if you want to make it in this world! Alfred, the world is a big competition. Those who lack behind end up on the streets."

Alfred felt his heart drop when he saw how cold and calculating Roderick's eyes turned when he said that last sentence. The boy before him was one of the most ambitious students in this school. Even at middle school Alfred could recall Roderick hurting himself when he couldn't get a perfect score on his exams. Elizabeta seemed to be the only reason why he hadn't been hurting himself during those ridiculous episodes. Even though Alfred admired Roderick's intelligence his perfectionist ideals got on his nerves easily. Alfred sarcastically stated,

"Oh geez Roderick, maybe I should just put a bullet between my eyes because I can't stand hearing another sentence from Macbeth!"

Roderick narrowed his eyes as his hands tightened around his lunch tray,

"Now you are just being childish."

"Oh yeah? I rather be childish than be a slave to my grades!"

"Stop being so stupid!"

"At least I'm not a slave!"

"Alfred-!"

Elizabeta gently placed her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder to stop him. The couple looked at each other-Roderick was frowning deeply while his lover gave him a sad smile. Alfred noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere and looked down at his hands in embarrassment. All he could hear were Elizabeta's soothing voice,

"Now, now boys-no need to get into an argument. Alfred, Roderick is just worried for you. We both worry and care for you. You know that he is only trying to push you to achieve great things."

Alfred released a reluctant sigh. He knew Elizabeta was telling him the truth. The two people in front of him had looked after and defended him since middle school. Elizabeta would emotionally support him while Roderick would push him to do his best in his subjects. He never admitted it but the two teenagers were like parents to him. He felt selfish for his childish antics from earlier and murmured an apology,

"Sorry Roderick...I was just..."

Roderick nodded in reply,

"No need to finish, I understand. I admit that I was a bit too rough on you. You've always been the rebellious type after all."

"I'm serious…I was being…childish."

Elizabeta and Roderick glanced at each other. Before them the usually cheerful teenager was gloomily staring at his hands. The older boy cleared his throat and said,

"Alfred, don't be sad. If you'd like I will help you in your studies. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"

Alfred shot straight up and his blue eyes gleamed,

"Hell yeah! But aren't you busy?"

Roderick and Elizabeta almost fell off from their seats from Alfred's sudden change in personality. They never seemed to get used to how easily Alfred's mood could be changed.

"I am-but you have been with Elizabeta and I through thick and thin. Helping you get the grades that could at least help you graduate high school is nothing."

"Aw-man! Roderick you're the best-!"

Alfred leaned over the table in order to give the boy a hug but Roderick slapped his hands away,

"No touching!"

Alfred simply smiled. The three friends continued to chat about their long day. Roderick continued to complain about the unprofessional attitude the freshmen students had in the music club while Elizabeta talked about how she was excited about the upcoming swimming contest. Alfred just listened, enjoying the changes in his two friends' facial expressions and tone of their voices. He was thankful to have them as his close friends. Even though all three had their flaws they supported and brought out the best of each other.

"Elizabeta,"

The three friends glanced up to see Lovino Vargas leaning against the table with his usual scowl. The short boy usually did not talk to them but once in a while he would come over to complain about the latest gossip. Alfred greeted the boy,  
"What's up, Lovi?"

Elizabeta asked,

"Is this about the biology assignment?"

Lovino answered the two questions at the same time,

"That's Lovino to you asshole-and yes-I am here to talk about the assignment."

Alfred frowned while Elizabeta answered the grumpy boy in her calm voice,

"I'll send the data after school. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

The brunette furrowed his brow while biting the bottom of his lip in contemplation. His brown eyes turned back to the three friends,

"Oh yeah-I remember-did the asshole invite you to his party?"

The girl smirked,

"Which asshole? You tend to call everyone in school an asshole Lovino-you will have to be more specific."

The skinny boy rolled his eyes,

"You know-THE asshole."

All four students turned to look at the far right of the cafeteria. Gilbert Beilschmidt was shouting and laughing with his big group of friends. On his right sat Antonio Carriedo, the infamous womanizer of the school. The popular boys seemed to be throwing trash at a small group of sophomore students who were sitting not too far from them. Alfred frowned,

"Poor kids…wonder why he doesn't pick fights with someone his own size."

Roderick simply answered,

"It is because he has the intelligence of a rock. Him and his flock of geese are a lost cause…I would not worry about it."

Elizabeta said nothing while staring at Gilbert. Alfred noticed this and looked down at his hands, he remembered how Elizabeta and Roderick used to hang out with Gilbert from elementary to middle school. He did not know what happened but since the beginning of freshman year Gilbert simply ignored them. However, there were moments where Gilbert tried to woo over Elizabeta. Despite rejecting him multiple times the German never seemed to give up, even though Elizabeta was in a relationship with Roderick.

"No, he hasn't said anything yet. Did he invite you?"

"Yeah. But I don't think I'm going to go. He probably only invited me since my younger brother is best friends with his brother."

Alfred knew Gilbert's younger brother-Ludwig Beilschmidt. The two brothers were polar opposites-Ludwig was the introverted brother who cared more about his grades than socializing like his brother. Ludwig also never tried to harm other students and was seen with Lovino's wimpy brother Feliciano and a quiet boy named Kiku. Despite being complete opposites everyone knew to never mess with Ludwig since he was physically strong and Gilbert was protective of him. In fact, Ludwig seemed to be the only person in this world who Gilbert seemed to truly care about. Before the teenagers could further complain about the popular bully, the bell rang, signaling the students to go to their next class.

While walking down the fairly crowded hallway Alfred separated from his two best friends,

"I forgot to bring my sport shirt. I'll be right with you guys!"

Roderick smirked while fixing his glasses on his face,

"Don't get lost."

"You take care too old timer!"

Alfred chuckled when he noticed Roderick's eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Elizabeta was behind her boyfriend, giggling quietly. It was simply too easy to get under the smart boy's skin. Just when he was about to turn a corner the teenager stopped in his track when his eyes caught the sight of a short boy being shoved against a locker and falling on the floor. The bullies quickly rushed off but the attacked boy was struggling to pick up his fallen books. Following his heroic instincts, Alfred Jones walked towards the boy's aid. While picking up the fallen books he started a conversation,

"Hi there, what jerks am I right?"

When Alfred looked up his blue eyes fell upon a pair of frightened almond shaped brown eyes. The boy before him had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail and an old red hoodie. Alfred tilted his head-he had never seen this boy before.

"You new here? I don't think I've seen you around."

The Asian boy blushed,

"Oh…uh…yes."

The dirty blonde flashed his friendly smile,

"I'm Alfred Jones, great to meet you!"

He handed over the fallen books towards the nervous boy who gingerly took them from him,

"Um…Wang Yao."

He closed his eyes tightly and looked away. Alfred just looked at him in confusion,  
"You okay?"

"Sorry…I thought you would make fun of me."

"What? Because of your name?"

Yao nodded slowly. Alfred shook his head as he stood up and offered his hand,

"I'm not like that. Hey, what class do you have next? Maybe I could go with you so you won't get lost. It's a pretty big school."

"I have…PE?"

"Cool! I'm going there too! Come on, I'll walk you there!"

Yao looked at the boy cautiously before accepting his hand,

"Thank you."

Coach Butch's whistle screeched into Arthur's ear,

"Come on Artie, you gotta give me better push ups than that!"

Coach Butch's foot landed heavily on Arthur's back, causing the boy's sweaty hand to slip on the gymnasium's floor and fall right on his chin. As he grumbled in annoyance Coach Butch just frowned in disappointment,

"You gotta do better than that if you want to pass this class Mr. Kirkland. Give me twenty."

With that the heavy man walked away from the scrawny boy. The moment the teacher left Arthur stopped his pathetic push-ups and simply sat on the crowded gymnasium cross-legged. He was sweating all over and he didn't want to bother doing any more of these stupid push-ups. Kirkland could hear a chuckling voice behind him,

"I told you that you should have not participated today."

Arthur glared at his blue-eyed friend,

"Oh shut up."

Francis smirked as he sat beside the frustrated Brit,

"You are too stubborn for your own good. Your hand is injured but you keep on insisting that it's nothing more than a small cut."

"Can you please just drop it?"

Francis poked Arthur's thick eyebrow,

"Whatever you say-eyebrows. Of course, you always know best."

He added sarcastically.

"Alfred Jones! What the hell took you so long?"

Coach Butch's deep voice boomed in the gymnasium. Arthur's green eyes shot at the boy who was being scolded-he couldn't believe it!

"Sorry Coach Butch…I was just helping Yao around the school. He's new!"

Arthur continued to stare at the same boy who had given him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He was in a different shirt and Arthur could see a good amount of muscle…

"Good excuse Mr. Jones. If I didn't like you so much I would have made you give me fifty push ups like last year."

So Alfred Jones was his name? It was simple…yet catchy. It just rolled in your mouth smoothly. Arthur was not going to complain about what he was seeing until his eyes caught the sight of an Asian boy standing nervously behind Alfred's toned body.

"Who's that?"

He asked under his breath. Francis, hearing the question, leaned over,

"He seems to be new. Quite a cutie-I actually want to know him better-if you know what I mean"

Arthur pushed Francis away,

"Shut up."

"Hey, I was only saying what was on my mind."

The British boy wasn't shutting Francis up for the same reasons the Frenchman thought he was. Arthur agreed that Yao wasn't bad looking and that was the problem. He had a slim figure with silky black hair and warm brown eyes. Something tugged at his heartstring furiously when he noticed how close Yao was behind Alfred. Yao had smooth white skin…Arthur had freckled skin. Yao came off as an innocent boy…Arthur came off as a weirdo. Why wouldn't Alfred fall for Yao? Arthur's fingers curled up into tight little fists.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: What Happens In The Shed Stays In The Shed

Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update! But here's the next chapter!

"Gross Elizabeta, I don't want to hear how you 'professionally' dissected a frog!"

Alfred complained as the four teenagers walked down the hallway towards the exit of the school. The brunet giggled as she held her Biology textbooks closer to her chest,

"I'm sorry Alfred, but I just absolutely love my biology class!"

"You're just trying to gross me out. Seriously, I had that big burger for lunch and I don't want to throw it all up."

Roderick agreed with the American,

"Alfred is right, Elizabeta. Nobody wants to hear how you cut open dead animals."

Alfred added,

"It makes you sound like those serial killers. You know that they dissect animals at first but later move on to killing people, right?"

Elizabeta raised her eyebrows,

"How do you know about that?"

Roderick smirked,

"Please, all Alfred does on his laptop is watch scary documentaries about serial killers and conspiracy theories. Alfred, how on earth can you bring yourself to sleep at night after watching those videos?"

The dirty blonde boy shrugged,

"I just find it interesting."

The older boy rolled his eyes and sarcastically commented,

"Perfect! I am dating a girl who likes to dissect dead animals and my close friend is obsessed with serial killers! It is only a matter of time before I mysteriously disappear. What about you Yao? Do you also have some sick hobbies?"

For the rest of the school day the new transfer student had remained quiet even when Alfred invited him over to hang out with his friends. He stammered,

"Uh…um…I don't think so?"

"Thank goodness! I'm not the only sane person!"

Elizabeta and Alfred chuckled as the group of friends made their way towards the exit of the school. Little did they know a short boy looked at them with envy from the shadows…

* * *

"Oh Mon Dieu!"

Francis Bonnefoy shouted to himself as he hastily opened up him grey umbrella. The rain was pouring mercilessly outside the high school. Lighting and thunder crackled above the little town.

"It just had to rain today…"

The French boy muttered while noticing how quickly he was getting soaked despite having an umbrella. He might as well not use his umbrella at all. As the boy walked down the small sidewalk he noticed a short figure rummaging in a nearby bush. Curiously, Francis made his way towards the boy. He was planning on just taking a peak on what the person was doing before moving on-it was none of his business after all-until he realized it was none other than Arthur. Holding his umbrella over the other boy Francis spoke,

"And what exactly are you doing in the bushes?"

Arthur slightly jumped in his kneeling position. Turning around quickly he cursed,

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Francis held back a laugh,

"I just could not help myself. What are you doing? Spying on someone?"

"N…no!"

The blonde handsome boy noticed Arthur's stutter. His grin widened,

"Aw, come on! You wouldn't hide anything from your best friend now would you?"

The Brit rolled his eyes as he showed a small little bird to his friend. Francis's eyes widened-the baby bird had a broken wing and was chirping weakly. The creature was tiny with a nice shade of yellow and brown. The other boy frowned,

"Oh dear! What are you going to do?"

"Obviously I am going to take it home with me."

"Hmph."

Arthur raised one of his big eyebrows while holding the bird closer to his chest,

"What?"

"I never really thought you liked animals."

Arthur rolled his green eyes while getting up from the wet grass. His fingers gently ran through the bird's yellow feathers,

"I can assure you that I quite like them."

"I thought you would hate them since they poop all over the place and make a mess. You have always been the neat freak if I remember correctly."

Arthur was walking away from the French boy,

"Well it seems like you don't know me as well as you thought. I have been taking care of animals since I was a small boy."

Francis ran to catch up with Arthur. The two boys did not live that far apart…only about three blocks away. The French boy frowned, trying to remember the moments of their past when Arthur showed an interest to animals. He remembered the first time he saw Arthur, they were both only seven years old. The Brit would be playing near the edge of the playground while everyone else played on the swings and slides. Come to think of it Arthur did seem to be playing with something near the bushes since he was smiling. Francis asked,

"Did you play with animals back when we were young?"

"Yes."

"What kind?"

"Francis-why are you asking me these random things? I just like animals."

"Yes I understand that. I just can't believe I have not noticed that about you until now. We have been friends for so long but…I can't believe I did not notice such a small detail!"

"You are making a big deal out of nothing. So what if I like animals? What are you going to do? Buy me a kitten for my eighteenth birthday?"

"Maybe."

Arthur rolled his eyes once again. Francis frowned, he felt like an idiot. The French boy always had a habit of trying to remember what people liked and disliked. He lived to please those he deemed important to him. And as far as he knew he cared deeply for Arthur. He hated to admit but sometimes he felt a strong urge to be more than friends with him. Arthur was everything to him. He may not believe in himself but he was smart and caring for those he opened up to…which were hardly anyone besides Francis. And Francis secretly obsessed with this little attention. Francis carried on,

"What's your favorite animal?"

"I'm not telling."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll laugh and then tell the whole school about it."

Francis chuckled,

"Oh please, you'd love the attention…it's always been about you."

He whispered the last part to himself. Arthur thought for a moment before answering quietly,

"Rabbits. I like rabbits."

Arthur turned to look at Francis with his green orbs and noticed the other boy was giving him a sneer.

"I guess rabbits fit you. They're fluffy and small-ouch!"

Francis yelped as Arthur trampled on his toe when they arrived in front of his house. Bonnefoy sniffled,

"You can be so heartless you know that?"

Arthur smirked as he started to walk towards the back of his house.

"Hey! Aren't you going inside? You'll catch a cold!"

"Stop trying to babysit me! You've done that already in school! I just need to pick up something."

Arthur shouted in reply through the pouring rain. Smiling happily to himself Francis walked slowly towards his own house. Maybe he could tell his friend about his feelings not too far from now…

* * *

Resting the injured bird in one arm Arthur pulled a bronze key attached to a string around his neck. He was standing in front of a green shed a couple of yards from his house. It was almost hidden since it was surrounded with tall trees. Inserting the key into the lock the boy cranked and entered the tiny little shed. Immediately, the smell of rotten flesh entered his nose. Coughing, the boy reached out and pulled a little string in the dark, lighting the place up with a cheap ceiling lamp. Immediately, jars of unknown content can be seen lined up neatly on shelves along the cramped walls. A few spider webs could be seen decorating the corners of the room but the teenage boy did not care. In the middle of the room were a wooden table and a small stool. Everything was organized in a simple and neat manner…just the way he liked it. Closing the door behind him Arthur placed the baby bird on the table while taking a seat on the cold stool. Humming to himself he pulled a drawer to reveal multiple animal skeletons and a few scalpels.

"What should I do with you?"

He asked the tired bird. He rested the sharp edge of the scalpel against the bird's throat and gazed into the bird's eyes. The creature did not dare to move its head and Arthur could feel the bird's heart trembling under his thumb. The creature looked very frightened and was chirping desperately for the boy to let it go…yet Arthur was distracted. The feathers had such a beautiful color and was very soft. In fact, the color of the bird's feathers reminded Arthur so much about Alfred. Humming to himself Arthur held the bird up to his face and rubbed against it. The soft texture of the feathers caressed his red cheeks. Closing his eyes Arthur started to feel a bit sleepy. While the bird continued to tremble the teenage boy began to fantasize about the boy in his English class.

'Just imagine…'

He thought to himself,

'My fingers running through his soft hair. Me resting my cheek on his head…what a wonderful thought!'

His fingers began to tighten as he muttered when an image of another particular boy popped into his head,

"If only that bastard would stay away…"

That new boy was smirking back at him as his hands were stroking Alfred's perfect face. He was mocking him! His brown eyes looking down at him while smiling. It was so unfair! The British boy began to recount Yao's almost perfect features. His pearly white teeth. His slender fingers. His gentle voice. Even the way the new boy walked gave off a sense of mystique and allure to him! It was unfair! It was unfair!

"That bastard!"

The Brit shouted through gritted teeth as he squeezed his fingers more tightly than before.

"That fucking bastard! He thinks he's so bloody perfect with his perfect skin and everything!"

 _Snap!_

"What a fucking joke!"

Opening his eyes Arthur noticed that he had broken the bird's neck. Gasping, Arthur gently spread the bird across the table before him. The bird seemed so small but with its wings stretched out it looked ten times larger. Arthur rested his head only an inch from the bird's dead face while stroking the yellow feathers,

"Oh Alfred…you wouldn't leave me for that loser would you?"

The boy's green orbs stared into the dead creature's beady black eyes. The only thing Arthur could see was his own reflection. His blonde hair was in a messy array and his eyes seemed tired and defeated. Unlike most of the animals he had been collecting he was actually considering on keeping this bird alive since it reminded himself of his crush…but as usual his emotions seemed to have gotten the better of him.

"Oh what am I saying? He's so handsome. He'd easily seduce you. It's so unfair…"

Feeling foolish Arthur stood up and opened a jar filled with black liquid. Plopping the bird right into the jar filled with toxic chemicals he tightly closed the lid shut.

"God I am such an idiot. I guess I'll just take a nap or something…"

He did not feel like himself. Usually he could be working on either skinning a dead/alive animal or taking the bones from the jars but he felt horrible. He wanted to keep that bird…but he killed it. He blamed Yao. If Yao did not move into this town that bird would have been alive. If Yao did not move into this town there would have been a better chance that Alfred would have noticed him! Closing and locking the door behind him Arthur whispered to himself in anguish when he thought about the dead bird,

"God damn it! It had the exact same colors!"


End file.
